Permutation-lock.



B. SNY'DER.

PERMUTATION LOCK.

APPLICATION HLED Ammo. 19m

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EF1-CE BENJAMIN sNYDE-R, or NEW YORK, N. Y., Assis-Non To JULIA WOLF, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Application filed April 20, 1917. Serial No. 163,412.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Permutation-Lock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

T he invention relates to permutation locks, such as shown and described in the Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,195,745, granted to me on August 22, 1916.

The object of the present invention is to simplify the construction of the permutation lock to allow of cheaply manufacturing the lock and readily assembling the various parts thereof without requiring highly skilled labor. Another object is to permit convenient application of the permutation lock to suit cases and other articles with a view to prevent opening thereof by unauthorized persons.

In order to produce the desired result use is made of a lock frame having rigidly connected spaced meinbers-provided on their opposite faces with alined integralbcarings, one of the frame members having a keyhole at the corresponding bearing and a tumbler having two concentric portions and being journaled at its ends on the said bearings, the tumbler having an interior slot extending lengthwise of the tumbler in the wall of the smaller bore, the tumbler slot being adapted to register with the said keyhole on turning; the tumbler, and a bolt adapted to pass through the said keyhole into the bores of the tumbler, the bolt having a lug adapted to pass through the tumbler slot into the larger bore of the tumbler.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the permutation lock as applied to a suit case;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. `1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same with the parts in unlocked position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the permutation lock on the line 1 -4 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and are top and bottom views respectively of a tumbler;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a set of tumblers and the top and bottom plates of the frame, the several parts being shown in disassembled position;

1Fig. 8 is a plan view of the lower frame p ate;

Fig. 9 is av similar view of a modified form of the upper frame plate; and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the simplest forms of the permutation lock.

The lock frame is provided with a plate 10 fastened by rivets or other suitable fastening means 11 to the outside of the body 12 of a suit case or other article having a cover -13 to be locked to the body 12. To the frame plate 10 are fastened by rivets or other fastening means 14 and 15 the top and bottom plates 16 and 17 of the lock frame and the said plates are rigidly connected with each other at their ends by posts-18 and 19. The top and bottom plates 1G and 17 of the lock frame are spaced apart to receive between them a set of single tumblers 20, as shown in Fig. 10, or a set of superimposed tumblers 20, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it being understood that the tumblers are all alike in construction with the exception that their polygonal faces are provided with different sets of indicating characters 21 such as letters of the alphabet or the like appearing raised on the corresponding faces of the tumblers. Each of the tumblers 2O is provided with two concentric bores 22 and 28 forming a shoulder 2-1 between them, the shoulder having a series of notches 25 for the purpose hereinafter more fully explained. The upper end of each tumbler is provided with a. journal 26 and the lower end of each tumbler is provided with an annular recess 27, the journal 26 and the recess 27 being of the same diameter so that theV journal ,of one tumbler is adapted to tit into and to turn in the recess 27 of another tumbler, as plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By the arrangement described the tumblers of a set are mounted to turn one on the other.

The under side of the top plate 16 is provided with bearings 30 into which iitthe journals 26 on the upper ends of the uppermost tumblers 20, and the lower plate 17 kis provided on its upper face with raised bearings 31 fitting into the recesses 27 formed on the lower ends of thelowerrnost tumblers 20. The bearings 30 and 31 are formed integrally on the plates 16 and 1'7 and are produced by the use of suitable dies. By reference to Fig. 7 it will be noticed that the top and bottom plates 16 and 17 can be exchanged as in forming the depressed -bearings 30 the raised members 32 are provided which can lbe lused as bearings the same as the bearings 31 when exchanging the kplates 16 and 17. In a like manner in forming the bearings 31 recesses 33 are produced on lthe under side of the plate 17 for engagement with the journal 26 in case the plates 16 and 17 are exchanged. It is understood that in case a number of `tumblers are used singly between the top and bottom plates 16 and 17, as shown in Fig. 10, then the journal 26 of each tumbler engages the depressed bearing 30 in the top plate 16 .and the recess 27 in the bot-tom of the tumbler engages the raised bearing 31 on the bottom plate 17. The bearings 30, 32 in the top plate 16 are provided with keyholes 34, of which the central part is in register with the small bore 22 of the uppermost tumbler 20, and the tail ot the keyhole is adapted to register with a slot 35 formed in the wall of the bore 22 in the direction of the length of the tumbler, as plainly7 illustrated in the drawings. In case two sets of tumblers are used, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, then the keyholes 34 are preferably disposed in diametrically opposite directions, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The member to be locked in place in the tumblers consists of a number of bolts 40 corresjiionding to the number of sets of tumblers used or the number ot' single tumblers arranged between the plates 16 and 17, as shown in Fig. 1-0. Each of the bolts 40 is secured at its upper end by riveting to an angular projection 41 of a slide 42 provided with slots 43 engaged by pins 44 riveted to a plate 45 fastened by rivets or other Yfastening means 46 to the cover 13, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Each bolt 40 is provided with one or a number of lugs 50, 51, according` to the number ot tumblers used in a set, and the lugs 50 and 51 are adapted to pass through the corresponding slots 35 into the large bores 23 whenever said slot-s 35 are in register with the keyholes 34, as previously explained. In case the keyholes are disposed in opposite directions, as indicated in Fig. 4, then the lugs 50 and 51 of the corresponding bolts are likewise disposed in opposite directions, as indicated in Fig. 3. Then the bolts 40 are in unlocked position, as shown in Fig. 3, then the slide 42 is in uppermost position, and when vit is desired to lock the two parts 12 and 13 together then the slide 42 is moved downward to pass the bolts 40 through the keyholes A34 into the tumblers 20 (see Fig. 2), and when this has been done, one, two, more or all of the tumblers are turned so as to move the slots 35 out of Vregister with the lugs 50, 51 and the corresponding keyholes 34. The bolts 40 are now locked against movement in the tumblers. It is understood that the slot or groove of each tumbler is located diametrically opposite a character 21 of the tumbler, and hence the user of the lock can readily turn the tumblers so as to move the slots 35 into registering position with the lugs 50 and 51 and the keyholes 34 to allow -f of moving the bolts 40 upward out of en-l gagement with the tumblers. An unauthorized person, not knowing the combination, cannot set the tumblers into registering positions. as described, and hence `the bolts when in locked position cannot be disengaged from the tumblers. In order to facilitate the turning of each tumbler, use is made of a knurled exterior flange l60 which may beat either end ot the tumbler, but in case two tumblers are used in a set one flange GO is at the upper end of the uppermost tumbler, and the flange ot the lower tumbler is at the lower end thereof, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7. The notches 25 add materially to the difficulty of surreptitious opening ot the lock. In case an unauthorized person tries to open the lock and pushes upward on the slide 42 and at the same time turns the tumblers 20 then the tops of the lugs 50 and 51 are liable to produce clicks when coming in contact with the notches 25 formed in the annular shoulder 24 between .the bores 22 and 23, as previously explained. Moreover, the sense of touch cannot be relied upon to determine just when the lugs 50 and 5l are in register with the slots 35 because the same effect will be produced when the lugs register with the notches as when they register with the slots 35. The keyholes 34 may be provided with double extensions, as shown in Fig. 9, to permit of setting the bolts 40 in reverse directions on the flanges 41 of the slide 42, so that even the maker of the permutation lock does not know the combination.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the permutation lock is very simple and durable in construction and any desired number of tumblers may be used, that is, singly, between the two plates or in sets of two or more, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

It will also be noticed that one of the main features of the invention is the turning of the tumblers one upon the other and on integral bearings formed on the iframe plates 16 and 17.

Having thus described my invention., I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a permutation lock, rigidlyconnected spaced members provided on their op posing faces with corresponding raised and depressed bearings, one of such members having a key hole in line with the bearings,

a tumbler mounted between the members and having a journal and a recess at opposite ends to match the depressed and raised bearings thereof, respectively, and having a central opening contracted at one end and enlarged at the opposite end and having a longitudinal slot in the wall of the contracted portion of the central opening, and a plurality of notches in the shoulder separating the contracted and enlarged portions of the opening, and a bolt having a lateral lug.

2. In a permutation lock, rigidly connect ed spaced members provided on their op osing faces with a plurality of correspon ing raised and depressed bearings, one of such members having key holes in line with the bearings, tumblers mounted between the members, each having a journal and a recess at opposite ends to match the depressed and raised portions thereof, respectively, and having a central opening contracted at one end and enlarged at the opposite end and having a longitudinal slot in the wall of the contracted portion of the central opening, and a plurality of bolts having lateral lugs.

3. A permutation lock comprising a frame plate, spaced plates rigidly connected to the frame plate and projecting therefrom at a right angle, posts connecting the spaced plates, sets of tumblers rotatably mounted between the spaced plates and a connected series of lock bolts, one for each set of tumblers, slidable through one of the spaced plates into the sets of tumblers and adapted to be engaged by the latter.

4. A permutation lock comprising a frame plate, spaced plates rigidly connected to the frame plate and projecting therefrom at a right angle, tumblers rotatably mounted between the spaced plates, a supporting plate, a slide mounted upon the supporting plate, and a plurality of lock bolts carried by the slide and adapted to pass through one of the said spaced plates and enter the tumblers and be engaged thereby.

BENJAMIN SNYDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D. (2. 

